Issue 12 - Randolph

The Yellow
J
acket
YJ
Vol. XCVIV; Issue 12 - May 16, 2014
est. 1915
The Official Student Newspaper and Student Voice of Randolph-Macon College
R-MC
reaches
$100 million
milestone in
campaign
Photo Courtesy of Josh Anoff
Kappa Sigma holds charity volleyball tournament
by Madison Eaton ‘15
O
Junior News Editor
n Sunday May 4, Kappa Sigma
kicked off their first annual charity volleyball
tournament with 15 participating teams.
There was a large turnout that brought in
hundreds of students throughout the day,
raising over $800.
All of the proceeds from the event
went to Kappa Sigma’s philanthropy, the
Military Heroes Campaign, to help build
rehabilitation facilities where the wounded
troops can recover with the comfort of
having their families close by. By holding
this fundraiser, Kappa Sigma surpassed their
philanthropy goal of $24,000.
There were numerous attractions,
including Peppicelli’s Pizza, music, cornhole
and raffle prizes.
“We sold over 250 raffle tickets,”
coordinator of the tournament and Kappa
Sigma’s Philanthropy Chair Kyle Bonesteel
said.
The seven winners of the raffle drawings
received prizes, such as Keurigs, gift cards
and free Chick-Fil-A meals.
The winners of the tournament were
juniors Bailey Troia and Corin Sanford,
with runners-up junior Phillip Mock and
sophomore Matthew Terry. Kappa Sigma
also held best team name and best team
uniform contests, with the winners being
Notorious D.I.G. and One Hit Wonders.
Because they had such an amazing
turnout and good feedback, Kappa Sigma
has decided to make the tournament a
biannual event.
“So get ready for the fall,” Bonesteel said.
Next year, Bonesteel said he hopes to
raise over $1,500 for the Military Heroes
Campaign during the tournament, and he
also hopes to extend it to be not only for
students, but for faculty, staff and members
of the Ashland community. Kappa Sigma
hopes to make the tournament an all day
festival, with more food vendors, raffles,
prizes and t-shirts.
“The brothers of Kappa Sigma would like
to thank everyone that participated in the
tournament,” Bonesteel said, “and anyone
else who came out to support them.”
Bonesteel also said he would like to
extend the opportunity for anyone who
would like to make suggestions about the
event to contact him at kylebonesteel@
go.rmc.edu.
Ky Hoang to be 2014 Commencement Senior Speaker
by Naoko Branker ‘15
K
Editor-in-Chief
eith “Ky” Hoang was chosen to be
the senior commencement speaker for the
graduating class of 2014 at Randolph-Macon
College. Hoang, a native of Chantilly, Va,
said he is very excited to have this honor.
“It is an honor and privilege to be
selected as the senior commencement
speaker,” Hoang said. “As a member of the
very diverse and intelligent class of 2014, I
am incredibly thankful for this opportunity.”
Hoang is a double major in economics/
business and arts management who has
been heavily involved on campus, including
his membership in the Sigma Phi Epsilon
fraternity and as one of the head orientation
leaders for this past year’s incoming
freshmen class.
He said he has had experiences that have
by the numbers:
2
days until Finals Week
15
days until Commencement
helped to shape him for the future.
“What stands out the most to me in these
last four years is how much we have grown,
personally and intellectually,” Hoang said.
“It’s amazing how much our experiences
here at Randolph-Macon have crafted us
into who we are today.”
Hoang has accomplished much in his
four years, and he said the education he
received from R-MC is unmatched.
“I’ll be able to take away the fact that
I was gifted with a wonderful education
with the support of an outstanding faculty,”
Hoang said. “The education we receive
here cannot be easily matched at other
institutions.”
As a head orientation leader, Hoang was
able to interact with the incoming freshmen
and help them figure out how to get the most
out of their college experience.
“I would advise the incoming class
Have a great
summer!
-The YJ Staff
to continuously network, get out of your
comfort zone socially and always seek
opportunities in helping others who are in
need,” Hoang said.
As Hoang ends his time here at R-MC, he
along with the other graduates will be able
to take with them the friendships that they
have made over the years.
“I will miss the relationships I’ve built
in the last four years more than anything,”
Hoang said. “While I am excited for the next
chapter of my life, my four years of college
have been amazing because of the wonderful
people I have been so lucky to have met.”
As for some parting words to his fellow
graduates, Hoang wishes them well.
“I would let my classmates know that I am
very proud of all of their accomplishments,
in and out of the classroom,” Hoang said,
“and I know that we will keep in touch after
graduation.”
Dear R-MC Community, I am thrilled to announce
that Randolph-Macon College has reached
its $100 million milestone for our Building
Extraordinary campaign – a full 19 months
ahead of schedule! The incredible generosity of alumni,
friends, parents, students, faculty, and
staff has allowed us to build or renovate
residential, academic, athletic and studentcentered facilities. Additionally, over 40% of our total will go
towards the support of our dedicated faculty
and for student scholarship assistance. The accomplishment of this goal so far
ahead of schedule suggests that many, many
individuals believe not only in our mission
and the quality liberal arts education we
provide, but also in our future goals and
aspirations. We are proud of our success, but our
work is not done. We need to build the new science
building to make phase one of our physical
transformation complete. Our faculty and students deserve a
science building that mirrors the outstanding
work going on inside. In light of this and our ongoing priority
of increasing our endowment for faculty
and student support, the R-MC Board of
Trustees voted at their Board meeting this
past weekend to increase the campaign goal
to $115 million and to meet or exceed this
goal by December 2015. I am confident that with the continued
and loyal support of our current donors, and
by mobilizing other alumni and friends to
action, we will indeed accomplish a stateof-the-art science facility and continue to
enrich our academic and extracurricular
offerings that maximize Randolph-Macon’s
vitality and distinctiveness going forward. Although our work continues, we have
much to celebrate and many to thank. I want to say a special word of appreciation
to our entire Advancement team, led by Vice
President Diane Lowder, for their steadfast
and excellent work. And on behalf of our Trustees, I extend
my deepest, heartfelt appreciation for the
tremendous generosity and support of our
entire Randolph-Macon College community
and an expression of confidence for our
continued success.
--Bob Lindgren
index:
Can you find Dean
McGhee in the
Yellow Jacket?
news, pp.1-2
features, pp. 3-4
politics/opinion, pp. 5-6
sports, pp.7-8
Page Two
YJ News
May 16, 2014
Dean Bell named Dean of
Academic Affairs
by Aurora Monroy ‘15
P
Photo courtesy of Katharine Winters
R-MC Dance Team wins
award at Nationals
by Aurora Monroy ‘15
T
Senior News Editor
he Randolph-Macon dance team was
awarded the TRUE U.S. Champion of the
Year award after they traveled to Virginia
Beach on May 4-5 to the U.S. Finals- Final
Destination Cheer and Dance National
Championships.
While they placed at Cheer and Dance
Extreme’s Mid-Atlantic Premier Open Cheer
and Dance Championship earlier in January,
the team, with the help of Coach Susan Cassidy, had to work hard in order to compete
at the same level of the other teams.
“This is only the third year that dance
team has competed, and it has been a
struggle to find the right style of dance that
we could excel at in competition,” captain
Katharine Winters ’15 said.
“I think we finally found it though, and
all of us were overjoyed when we won and
were proud of ourselves for what we accomplished.
“Our routine is high energy and two and
a half minutes long,” Winters continued, “so
building the stamina to complete the routine
was by far the most challenging thing to do,
but all of our preparation and dedication
was worth it.”
The Yellow Jackets dancers are Winters, Martika Williams ’16, Kathleen Lampe
’16, Dory Jackson ’16 and Lexie Tsantes ’17.
Captain Savannah Kaiser ’15 was unable to
perform at this competition because of her
study abroad commitment, but she was part
of the qualifying team.
As the team continues to work for next
year, Winters said, “A goal of ours is to gain
new members and continue to raise the bar
on our individual and group expectations
for being on the team.”
Congratulations to the new sisters
of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc!
Mahogany Snead
Victoria Zimbro
Sharon Thomas
Congratulations to the new
brothers of Alpha Phi Omega!
Clevon Hall
Sydney Hinkle
Charlotte Horne
Cecily Nowaczyk
Umeki Funchess
Becca Liskiewicz
Sarah Whited
Zack Sayles
Jasmine Shepard
Jolisa Jackson
Senior News Editor
olitical science professor Lauren
C. Bell was named Dean of Academic
Affairs on April 28.
In an email to students, Provost
William T. Franz stated, “In her role
of Associate Dean, she has been the
provost office’s liaison to the faculty
standing committees on College Life,
Curriculum and ACASS, and she will
continue to staff those committees in
her new role.” With this new position, Bell will be
able to continue and expand her work
with managing the student retention.
Her current work with the Higgins
Academic Center (HAC) has allowed
for a better outcome towards this goal.
“This promotion will allow her to
better integrate efforts from student
affairs, financial affairs and financial aid
in assisting our students,” Franz said.
Since Bell started teaching here, she
has demonstrated dedication to the R-MC
community. Not only was she the Associate
Dean of the college, she was also R-MC’s
pre-law advisor and the Assistant Director
of the college’s honors program previously.
While being a professor, Bell has
published books such as Filibustering in
the U.S. Senate, Warring Factions: Interest
Groups, Money, and the New Politics of
Senate Confirmation and The U.S. Congress,
A Simulation for Students, according to the
R-MC website. She has also contributed many
works to other journals and newspapers
such as The Journal of Politics, Political
Research Quarterly, Photo credit to R-MC
The Jour nal of
Legislative Studies, The Journal of Public
Administration Research and Theory and
Judicature.
As the R-MC website states, Bell joined
the faculty in 1999 after she earned a
B.A. from the College of Wooster, and
her M.A. and Ph.D. from The Carl Albert
Congressional Research and Studies Center
at The University of Oklahoma. Bell’s main
aspiration for this campus is to “move
Randolph-Macon forward and make our
college an even better place for students to
live and learn,” the website states.
R-MC website redesign
will launch in the fall
by Madison Eaton ‘15
N
Junior News Editor
ext fall, when people log on to
Randolph-Macon College’s website, they
will see a completely new design. The
Yellow Jacket Newspaper spoke to Director
of Marketing and Communications Anne
Marie Lauranzon on their plans for the
new website, logo and reasoning behind
the changes.
The last update of the school
website was in 2006, before the rise of
mobile devices. One of the main priorities
for the new design is to make it more
mobile accessible, targeting students and
prospective students alike.
Throughout the process, the
marketing and communications office has
spoken to every department on campus and
has gotten 100 percent feedback from them
in updating their information for the new
website.
They have also interviewed hundreds
of students to get feedback about what
they would like to see in the new design.
Lauranzon said they are also excited to
be creating a new calendar feature for the
website, which will use one calendar for the
entire college.
Lauranzon said webmaster Brent
Hoard has shown amazing work ethic and
skill level to help keep the project on time
and ready for launch in the fall.
Along with the new design, R-MC
will be launching a new school logo featuring
the cupola.
Some of the difficulties marketing faced
when designing the logo were finding a
design that would work in black and white
and in color, one that could be produced in
various sizes and creating something that
is not too vertical or horizontal so that it
will work with the college’s name next to it.
At first, they attempted to use R-MC’s
mascot Buzz as the school logo, but he was
unrecognizable when the size was reduced
down.
Lauranzon said she is proud of
the work that has been accomplished and
is excited to see what else is in store for the
website.
“It’s been rewarding to see the level
of support from the Randolph-Macon
community on these important initiatives,”
Lauranzon said. “This is just one more
example of what makes Randolph-Macon
College so special.”
Correction:
In the May 9 issue of the Yellow Jacket, the amount of years
Prof. Joe Mattys taught at Randolph-Macon was incorrect. The
Yellow Jacket Community is proud to have had Professor Mattys
for 24 years, not 14. We apologize for the error.
Page Three
YJ Features
Senior Spotlight: Lena Wallace
by Anna DeLoache ‘14
E
Staff Writer
ditor-in-Chief of The Yellow Jacket for
the 2013-2014 academic year, Lena Wallace,
will be graduating in just a few weeks. A
native of Chesapeake, Va., Wallace has been
extremely involved on campus in many
organizations during her time here.
Wallace knew she wanted to attend
R-MC when she first visited because she was
attracted to the small college atmosphere
and was impressed by the credentials of the
professors and faculty.
“R-MC was super friendly when I
visited,” Wallace said. “I felt a connection
the minute I stepped onto campus.”
Since her freshman year, Wallace has
been very involved around campus, whether
giving tours to prospective students or being
very active with Greek life.
Her senior year, Wallace was the
president of her sorority, Kappa Alpha
Theta, the president of the Sigma Tau
Delta International English Honors Society
President, a tour guide, and the Editor-inChief for The Yellow Jacket for 2013-2014.
Wallace is also a member of the
Leadership fellows, the sorority honors
society Rho-Lambda, the Communications
honor society Lambda Pi Eta, and the
leadership honors society Order of Omega.
Wallace explained how she became
involved with Leadership Fellows the
summer before her freshman year when she
was invited to join the program.
“During this summer program I became
more familiar with campus and met lifelong
friends,” Wallace said. “The program taught
me great skills to become an efficient and
effective leader of organizations.”
Wallace said that now as a senior she
can reflect about how much the program
made her grow over the years. Along with
Leadership Fellows, Wallace has loved being
a sister of Kappa Alpha Theta.
“I joined Theta the fall of my freshman
Photo courtesy of Lena Wallace
year and found a wonderful sisterhood and
support system,” Wallace said.
By being involved with these activities,
Wallace said she has learned many things
from each one.
“In every organization I have learned
how to be more patient,” Wallace said.
“I enjoy seeing others, especially on the
newspaper staff, get excited over pitching an
idea or story and then succeeding with it.”
A friend of Wallace’s, Emily Bruny, said
Wallace is caring and trustworthy, along
with being apparent because of her natural
ability to be a leader, and her extraordinary
work ethic.
“During her college career, she has
demonstrated her leadership in various
organizations she is involved with on
campus, including being president of Kappa
Alpha Theta and Sigma Tau Delta,” Bruny
said. “Whenever she has a task that needs
to be completed, whether it’s for school or
for an extracurricular, she always put forth
110%. Lena has never been the type of
person that is lazy, and I think her hard work
is what makes her a great leader.”
One professor that has really had an
impact on Wallace is Professor Mary Ann
Owens of the Journalism Department.
“Mary Ann Owens is wonderful, she
taught me how to professionally write
articles and become passionate with news
writing,” Wallace said. “Professor Owens
taught me the importance of objective
reporting and ethics.”
Along with all of her involvement on
campus, Wallace said something people may
not know about her is that she enjoys playing
the violin. Wallace also said that her favorite
memory from R-MC is when she traveled to
Italy during J-Term where she took the class
Heritage of Christianity in Italy.
As for the future, Wallace will be
attending the S.I. Newhouse School of Public
Communications at Syracuse University
to earn a Master of Science in Broadcast
Journalism.
Finally, Wallace had some advice for
current students at R-MC.
“Begin internships early,” Wallace said.
“It is important to get real world experience
with the career you want to pursue.”
Senior Spotlight: Anna DeLoache
by Madison Guidry ‘16
A
Senior Features Editor
nna DeLoache always knew she
wanted to attend a small school in Virginia.
Growing up in Burlington, North Carolina
and the attending Virginia Episcopal School, DeLoache started
searching for small schools. Her
academic advisor, the late Martha
Colby, highly recommended Randolph Macon for Anna.
The first time DeLoache visited Randolph Macon, she loved
the campus setup and all of the
friendly and welcoming students.
Anna immediately fell in love
with Randolph Macon and soon
became very involved after her
enrollment here.
DeLoache served as the Senior
Features Editor for the Yellow
Jacket Newspaper, became an initiated member of Lambda Pi Eta,
a communications honor society,
and worked in the Provost’s office
during the summer.
Although DeLoache was very
involved on campus, she took full
advantage of the outside opportunities Randolph Macon offers.
Along with her internships,
DeLoache took full advantage of Randolph
Macon’s Office of International Studies and
her chance to study abroad.
“One of the reasons why I picked R-MC
was because of the study abroad program
they offer here. I was always interested in
studying abroad for a semester,” DeLoache
said.
“I attended Lancaster University in
Lancaster, England the fall of my junior year
[2012]. It was honestly the best experience
of my life [and] I think students should
definitely consider studying abroad during their time here at R-MC, whether for a
semester or for J-Term. Tammi Reichel of
the Office of International Education was
a tremendous help during the application
process and also was a great mentor during
Photo courtesy of Anna DeLoache
my time over there.”
Along with studying abroad, DeLoache
had two internships during her time at
Randolph Macon. She was an intern reporter at The Times-News Newspaper in
Burlington and she interned for WHAN
Radio in Ashland.
Her internships pursued her to get involved with the Yellow Jacket Newspaper.
“I mainly got involved with The Yellow
Jacket at the end of my junior year after I was
a reporter intern for The Times-News in Burlington, NC. I really enjoyed the experienced
at The Times-News and so I really wanted
to become involved with the newspaper at
R-MC because I loved writing articles.”
Not only has The Yellow Jacket had a large
impact on her time here at Randolph Macon,
but Professor Mary Ann Owens
also influenced DeLoache and her
love for journalism.
“Professor Mary Ann Owens
of the Journalism Department
has had the biggest impact on
me because she is the one who
taught me how to write articles
and the reason why I became
Journalism minor. I enjoyed her
class, Advanced News Writing,
because I got to write articles and
I loved having that opportunity,”
DeLoache said.
With all of the opportunities and great friendships made,
DeLoache will have a hard time
leaving Randolph Macon. Her
favorite memories will be the ones
spent with her friends as well as
her time spent with The Yellow
Jacket.
When asked what advice she
would leave to future students of
RMC, DeLoache said, “R-MC is a
wonderful school with so many
opportunities. Take advantage of these opportunities, and enjoy every single moment
of your time here.”
After graduation, DeLoache will be
working for her family company, The DeLoache Corporation, where she will be a
wholesale representative for the company.
She hopes to continue her passion with
journalism and freelance for newspaper
and hopefully move to the D.C. area within
a year or so.
May 16, 2014
YJ
est. 1915
The Yellow Jacket
Volume XCVIII
Issue 12
May 16, 2014
Naoko Branker ‘15
Editor-In-Chief
[email protected]
Katrina Zurasky ‘15
Managing Editor
Aurora Monroy ‘15
Senior News Editor
Madison Eaton ‘15
Junior News Editor
Madison Guidry ‘16
Senior Features Editor
May McNeil ‘16
Junior Features Editor
Henry Ashton ‘15
Senior Politics/Opinion Editor
Dionna Cheatham ‘15
Junior Politics/Opinion Editor
Rebecca Ream ‘16
Senior Sports Editor
Jordon Lee ‘16
Senior Sports Editor
Deborah Martin ‘15
Business/Advertising Manager
[email protected]
Heather Ramey ‘15
Copy Editor
Amanda Hicks ‘15
Copy Editor
Nadhira Hill ‘16
Yellow Jacket Web Master
Lindsey Harkins ‘15
Photo Editor
Jarrod Harrison ‘15
Social Media Editor
Anna DeLoache ‘14
Staff Writer
Prof. Gayla Mills
Faculty Advisor
Printed at the Progress-Index
in Petersburg, Va.
The Yellow Jacket is published bi-weekly.
Written materials or
letters can be submitted to the staff
through the R-MC Office of Student Life,
P.O.Box 5005, Ashland, VA, 23005 or at
[email protected].
Opinions expressed herein are exclusively
those of the writer/editorial board and do
not reflect the views of the R-MC
administration, faculty, staff or the college
itself.
Page Four
YJ Features
May 16, 2014
Insect infestations plague R-MC students
by May McNeil ‘16
D
Junior Features Editor
uring the 2013-2014 school year,
several students at Randolph-Macon have
encountered insect infestations in their
places of residency.
T h e bu g s , i n clu d i ng b e d bu g s ,
cockroaches, and termites, have forced
students out of their rooms and caused
major health hazards.
Three weeks into the school year, junior
Chris Hamilton noticed several spots on his
arm resembling insect bites. He went to the
campus health center and was told that he
might be experiencing an allergic reaction.
Soon, basketball teammates began to notice
similar bites. The health center told him that
it could be chicken pox.
Hamilton and his teammate were then
quarantined in their dorm room for a week.
“In this time of solidarity, I see a little
critter on my desk. Before ending his life, I
took a picture and showed it to the health
center, which instantly told me I had bed
bugs,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton’s room was heat treated for the
bugs and he and his roommate were told that
the infestation was taken care of. Within a
week, two more rooms on Hamilton’s hall
noticed bugs and had their rooms treated.
“No bugs were ever found in my
teammates room who was quarantined, until
they rearranged their furniture one day and
un lofted their beds to discover bugs living
in the wood,” Hamilton said.
“The quarantine part was obviously
atrocious, because I was stuck in there, but
once they knew what it was, they treated it
swiftly.”
Each room that experienced problems
was treated at least twice, and the bed bug
infestation on the first floor of Conrad
ended.
Thomas Dwyer, who works with
Randolph-Macon’s Physical Plant, said that
bed bug infestations have occurred in at
least six dorms at R-MC other than Conrad,
which had far more bed bugs than any other
dorm.
“We suspect that the bed bug infestations
started in Conrad early in the fall semester
and weren’t brought to our attention before
the bed bugs had multiplied and transported
to rooms in Conrad and several other
dorms,” Dwyer said.
The way bed bugs spread is by attaching
themselves to luggage or other personal
items that are then brought to new locations.
They then lay eggs in the new location and
the process begins again.
Randoph-Macon sees up to five isolated
cases of bed bugs per school year, which
Dwyer says is on par with other colleges
and universities.
“Bed bugs are the only pests that seemed
to show increased activity this year,” Dwyer
said. “I’m hoping this year was just unusual.”
Randolph-Macon utilizes a contractor
that uses a heat process that raises the
temperature in the infested space to above
140 degrees Fahrenheit. Bed bugs are drawn
to the heat and their eggs are destroyed.
Jordan McConnell, a junior, lives in the
Moreland apartment located on the first floor
of Moreland Hall with roommates Bailey
Troia and Rachel Leigh. The apartment
underwent bedbug treatment with the rest
of the floor, but concerns remained about
other insects and maintenance issues.
McConnell and her roommates filed three
work orders with Physical Plant but did not
receive assistance until April 23, when their
apartment flooded.
McConnell says that throughout the
year, she and her roommates noticed small
bugs living in their kitchen, which she says
“probably is from the 1960’s.”
McConnell spotted insects living inside
their refrigerator and had filed complaints
with R-MC. The bugs were noticed in
April when help arrived for their flooding
apartment.
“A school affiliated bug expert came and
looked around the apartment,” McConnell
said. “They moved the fridge and suddenly
hundreds of bugs fell out.”
The bugs were identified as German
cockroaches, which had been breeding
in cardboard boxes and in the coils of the
refrigerator.
According to Pennsylvania State
University’s Entomology website, German
cockroaches often carry disease-producing
organisms that can cause various forms of
gastroenteritis and allergens.
They blamed it on us,” McConnell said.
“They said we probably brought them in
through beer boxes or something, but we
never used the fridge and couldn’t move it
ourselves.”
McConnell said that Wade Felty, who
works in the office of Residence Life and
Housing, was the most helpful to work
with while other members of college
administration turned a blind eye.
“Dean Azell told us, ‘this happens, I’m
from Florida and I’m used to cockroaches’,”
said McConnell.
McConnell says that because of their
schedules, no one from Randolph-Macon
assisted her and her roommates when
they were required to move out of the
apartment after washing everything in it.
McConnell, Troia, and Leigh are currently
being reimbursed by the college for the
laundry detergent, but had to get rid of their
Keurig coffee maker, couch, and microwave.
The three ladies are now living in
freshman village.
Wade Felty said that his role in aiding
students that have been affected by pests is to
help students find accommodations during
treatment and assist in preparing their room
for treatment.
Most items must be left in rooms while
treatment takes place, as bed bugs cling to
items. Students are given an instruction
sheet and a 24/7 contact person from the
office of Residence Life and Housing.
Felty said that if students suspect bed
bugs they must notify Residence Life and
Housing immediately and attempt to contain
a bug in a zip lock bag or bottle without
picking it up. If the situation occurs after
hours, the student should call Campus Safety
and an on-call professional with Residence
Life will assist them.
Schwabenton said Theta has also given
her the opportunity to be a leader within
the sorority and in other organizations on
campus.
“My experiences in Theta helped me
grow as a leader by being a member of
multiple committees and holding two executive positions: Chief Panhellenic Officer
and Chief Marketing Officer,” Schwabenton
said. “I was also able to participate in many
service events which gave me the opportunity to give back to the community; being a
member of the Greek community at R-MC
is one I would not trade for anything.”
A professor that Schwabenton said has
impacted her during her college experience
is Dr. Evie Terrono of the arts department.
Along with this, she said she has enjoyed the
small class sizes at R-MC.
“The small class sizes make it possible to
have a more personal experience with your
classmates and professors,” Schwabenton
said. “One in particular is Dr. Evie Terrono.
Dr. Terrono strengthened my love of the arts
in so many ways.”
Schwabenton also said she really enjoyed
her trip during J-Term with Dr. Terreno.
“[Terreno] also gave me an unforgettable
experience during the baroque art J-Term
trip,”Schwabenton said, “which made me
realize how strong my interest and love for
art is.”
She explained that her two favorite
classes at R-MC were Oriental Art with
Dr. Terreno and Buddhism with Assistant
Professor of Religion Dr. Timothy Brown.
Schwabenton said she will miss many
things when she graduates, but especially
seeing friendly people on campus.
“I’m not sure if I can pick one thing,”
Schwabenton said, “but I guess I’d say
walking across campus and seeing familiar
faces and smile; that’s the small school feel I
wanted and got from R-MC.”
For plans after graduation, Schwabenton
said she wants to attend graduate school in
the next couple of years, but for now will be
taking time off from school to continue gaining experience in the art world. For now, she
will be working as an assistant to the gallery
director at Photo courtesy of Schwabenton
Gallery
Flux in Ashland.
“Make the most of your experience, get
involved, and cherish the moments you
have,” Schwabenton said, “because four
years goes by faster than you think.”
organizations, Mason found her home in
Alpha Gamma Delta.
“I wanted to be a part of an organization
that gave back to the community and
believed in the same values as me. I found
my home within AGD,” said Mason.
Alpha Gamma Delta has taught Mason
how to manage her time and Mason even
says that it is the best decision she has ever
made.
Fo c using on ac ademics, Mas on
has succeeded in the communications
department. Many of the professors have
had a large impact on her life here at
Randolph Macon.
“ T h e C o m mu n i c at i o n s S t u d i e s
department has taught me tremendous
amounts. They have been so supportive
and inspiring during my time at Macon,”
said Mason.
Outside of class, Mason makes sure
to have time to spend with her friends
and sorority sisters. One of her favorite
memories she has had at Randolph Macon
involved her sisters.
“My sophomore year, after a large rain
storm, a bunch of my sorority sisters and
I made a slip and slide on the front lawn.
It was so spontaneous and funny. It’s the
unplanned moments that are the most fun,”
said Mason.
She says she has loved every moment of
her time at Randolph Macon and will miss
all of her friends and the small community
of Randolph Macon.
When asked what advice Mason would
give future students, she said, “Do what
makes you happy, and find what you are
passionate about.”
Senior Spotlight: Anne Louise Schwabenton
by Anna DeLoache ‘14
A
Staff Writer
nne Louise Schwabenton, a native
of Blackstone, Va., is a double major in arts
management and studio art.
Schwabenton said she chose R-MC because she wanted something similar to her
high school experience.
“I came from a small town and small high
school and wanted to have the same personal
experience in college as I did at my high
school, Kenston Forest,” Schwabenton said.
“One of the main reasons why I chose R-MC
was for the community and size.”
Schwabenton has been very involved
with her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, along
with being a member of the Order of Omega
and Rho Lambda and serving as the Business
Manager for The Yellow Jacket newspaper.
“Being a member of Theta was one of
the best experiences of my college career,”
Schwabenton said. “Through Theta, I have
made many lifelong friendships with my
sisters.”
Senior Spotlight: Junior Features Editor Chelsea Mason
by Madison Guidry ‘16
Senior Features Editor
C
helsea Mason was born in San Diego,
California, but raised in Chesterfield, Va.
After deciding to attend Randolph-Macon,
Mason became a Communications Studies
major and Journalism and Film Studies
double minor.
Along with being ver y involved
academically, Mason is also in multiple
honor societies and organizations.
Mason is a member of Lambda Pi Eta and
Order of Omega as well as Alpha Gamma
Delta sorority. Not only is she a member, but
she also served as President of Rho Lambda
and the Vice President of Recruitment for
Alpha Gamma Delta.
Even though she is very involved in many
Photo courtesy of Chelsea Mason
Page Five
YJPolitics/Opinions
May 16, 2014
In Schuette case, Supreme Court addresses
affirmative action in MI’s state universities
by Henry Ashton ‘15
Senior Politics/Opinions Editor
O
n April 22, the Supreme Court
upheld an amendment to Michigan’s constitution prohibiting state universities from
considering race as a factor in the admissions process.
In a 6-2 decision, the court held that
Michigan’s amendment did not violate the
equal protection clause of the Constitution’s
Fourteenth amendment. Justice Elena Kagan did not participate in the proceedings
because of a conflict of interest.
Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the
opinion for the majority, and Chief Justice
John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito joined
him in full.
“This case is not about how the debate
about racial preferences should be resolved,”
Kennedy stated in his opinion. “It is about
who may resolve it.”
Several justices also filled concurring
opinions. Justice Clarence Thomas joined
Justice Antonin Scalia in concurring, and
Justice Stephen Breyer wrote a separate
concurring opinion.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor filled a dissenting opinion, and she was joined by Justice
Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
“For members of historically marginalized groups which rely on the federal
courts to protect their constitutional rights,”
Sotomayor wrote, “the decision can hardly
bolster hope for a vision of democracy that
preserves for all the right to participate
meaningfully and equally in self-government.”
Although a majority of Michigan voters
approved the amendment as an initiative, the
decision to ban race as a factor in admissions
remains controversial.
The case is the latest in a series of Supreme Court proceedings that have eroded
the use of affirmative action in deciding
Race in admissions: Jennifer Gratz, the Chief Executive Officer of XIV foundation and an op-
ponent of affirmative action, stands alongside Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette. Gratz was
denied admission to the University of Michigan in 2003, and sued over U-M’s race-based admission policies. In 2003, the Supreme Court held that U-M’s admission policies were constitutional
as long as quotas were not being used. The Schuette case addresses Michigan’s 2006 constitutional
amendment that banned the use of race in the admissions process of its state universities.
Photo credit to Associated Press/Susan Walsh
between applicants.
In 2003’s Gratz v. Bollinger, the Supreme
Court decided that while race could be factor in the admissions process for colleges and
universities, it could not be a determining
factor in the admission of an individual into
the institution.
With the Schuette case, however, minority voters in Michigan will have to find a
way to defeat the amendment to reverse the
ban on affirmative action in the admissions
process.
The Supreme Court had the task to determine whether this amendment unfairly
inhibited the political process for minority
voters.
Randolph-Macon’s Dean of Academic
Affairs Dr. Lauren Bell told The Yellow Jacket
that in the Schuette case, the three justices in
the majority opinion believed the Michigan
amendment was not a violation of Michigan’s political process.
“For the court, they take this up under a
political process doctrine,” Bell said.
“They say, is this somehow violating the
regular political process? And ultimately
what the group of three justices concludes
is that it doesn’t violate the regular political
process. The board of regents are a public
entity and a public entity is no more or less
subject to a ballot initiative than anybody
else.”
Bell noted those in Michigan favorable
to affirmative action contest the idea that
the affirmative action amendment does not
create an undue burden within the political
process.
“What the opponents claim is: of course
it violates the regular political process,
because right now if as a group children of
wealthy alumni want to petition as a group
to have legacy status counted at a particular
institution, all they have to do is convince
the board of regents,” Bell said.
“But if a group of racial or ethnic minorities want to have race considered as part of
the admissions process, now they have to
change the constitution in the state. It creates
a burden for that group of people.”
According to the legal argument the majority made in the Schuette case, there was
no violation of the Fourteenth amendment.
“The Fourteenth amendment says that
a state cannot discriminate on the basis of
race. Well the amendment that was passed
through the citizens’ initiative says you cannot use race. So, while the effect of that might
be to marginalize racial or ethnic minorities, as far as the language goes there’s not a
conflict with the Fourteenth amendment.”
Bell told The Yellow Jacket that although
in matters like the Schuette case the Supreme
Court’s decision can be divisive, the Court
is simply fulfilling its constitutional role by
making a strictly legal argument.
“[The Court’s] job is not to aggregate
the public interest and come up with what
people will be happiest with,” Bell said.
“Their job is to say what’s legal and what’s
okay, and they’ve done that in this case. If we
as a society want to see a more fully realized
type of equality, then the place to do that is
through society or through Congress. The
courts can help that along, but they can only
help that along when there’s a legal wrong
that they can fix.”
Uninsured rate drops to lowest since 2008
by Dionna Cheatham ‘15
Junior Politics/Opinions Editor
A
Gallup poll reported the population
of uninsured Americans has dropped to 13.4
percent, the lowest since 2008.
Gallup and the Obama administration
credit the Affordable Care Act.
More than eight million have signed up
for insurance through Obamacare online
exchanges, NBC News reported.
“The uninsured rate peaked at 18 percent
in the third quarter of 2013,” Gallup stated,
“but has consistently declined since then.”
Gallup stated anywhere from 7.26 to 9.9
million people got health insurance since
the last quarter of 2013.
They have been able to purchase it
through Obamacare exchanges, their employers or other means.
Many states have also expanded Medicaid, opening the door for many who do
not qualify under standard Medicaid, NBC
News reported.
The Census Bureau still estimated that 47
million Americans were uninsured last year.
This is more than 15 percent of the U.S.
population, NBC News reported.
The Affordable Care Act remains unpopular, and the Obama Administration has
been citing the Gallup survey as evidence of
Obamacare’s effectiveness.
Gallup’s findings were based on a random
survey of over 14,000 adults.
It had a margin of error of plus or minus one percentage point, Crain’s Chicago
Business said.
Fixing America’s healthcare coverage gap: A family sits down to enroll for healthcare
through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace. In a Gallup poll conducted this year, Gallup reported that the population of uninsured individuals in the U.S. is at its lowest since 2008. The policies of the Affordable Care Act have been credited for the drop, with Americans either purchasing
insurance through the marketplace or receiving healthcare through the expansion in Medicaid.
The poll found that the uninsured rate peaked in the third quarter of 2013 and has declined since
then. Photo credit to Reuters/Joe Skipper
The Gallup report did not show a particularly high rate in the decline of uninsured
young adults.
People aged 18-34 were a key target of
Obamacare as they are generally healthier
and could offset the cost of elderly Obamacare users with preexisting conditions.
Insurers were forbidden from excluding
those with preexisting conditions on Jan. 1.
Twenty-eight percent of Obamacare enroll-
ees were aged 18-34, according to Crain’s
Chicago Business.
14.2 percent of Virginians under 65 are
uninsured. Almost 80 percent are U.S. citizens, 46.6 percent are part of families with
at least one full-time employee and over 40
percent live below the poverty line, according to the Virginia Health Care Foundation.
Virginia has yet to expand Medicaid,
and the state senate remains in a stalemate
over the issue, Modern Healthcare reported.
Virginia is taking advantage of the Supreme Court’s ruling that states can opt out
of Obamacare’s expanded Medicaid.
Governor McAuliffe has considered
expanding Medicaid without state senate
approval.
The governors of Ohio and Kentucky
have both done so to push expanded Medicaid in their states.
However, they took advantage of legal
loopholes that do not exist in Virginia,
Washington Post reported.
The Virginia Constitution requires the
state legislature approve any and all action.
If McAuliffe follows through, he could
create a toxic political environment for
himself, one that he is in no way assured of
overcoming.
He would also raise the kind of questions
regarding executive power and the rule of
law that have been increasingly cropping up
in Washington.
Both state governors and the president
have been looking for ways to get legislation
through without approval from Congress or
state legislature in the wake of frequent stalemates or threats of shutdown, Washington
Post reported.
McAuliffe’s administration has been
consulting with lawyers, legislators and
healthcare policy experts to explore the
possibilities.
University of Virginia legal scholar A.E.
Dick Howard said to the Washington Post,
“I don’t know what the legal authority would
be frankly.”
Page Six
YJ Politics/Opinions
May 16, 2014
Putin honors 300+ pro-Russian journalists
Reuters reporters on the scene found no
evidence of this.
Russian media deny being part of a
Kremlin propaganda campaign and accuse
Western media of bias, Huffington Post
reported.
Western reporters in Ukraine have been
taken hostage and attacked, likely a result of
such claims being accepted by the public.
Paul Gubarev, a pro-Russian protest
leader currently being detained, said on
Facebook that journalists are “catalysts of
intolerance, hatred and violence.”
Russian news outlets paint the Ukrainian
government as being unable to manage its
own country and having a majority of proRussians. Ukrainian news outlets lack the
same funding and organization as Russian
state media.
This means it also lacks the same singlemindedness needed to effectively argue
against such portrayals.
Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, has trouble getting intelligence from the East.
This also means that Ukrainian media
cannot prove that pro-Russia rebels are in
the pay of the Kremlin, Huffington Post
reported.
Ukraine is currently preparing for three
big events.
A referendum on independence for the
regions of Donetsk and Luhansk was scheduled for May 11, May 9 was the anniversary
of Germany’s surrender at the end of World
War II, and the presidential election will take
place on May 25.
All three have the potential to transform
into violent displays.
Putin could use such an occurrence as
pretext to invade.
Putin has said he will invade if he feels
pro-Russians and Russian-speakers need his
protection, Huffington Post reported.
Previously, President Dmitry Medvedev
also presented awards to journalists in 2009
for their coverage of the conflict between
Russia and Georgia in 2008 over the regions
of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
The decree associated with the RussiaGeorgia conflict was also made public.
Independent media analyst Vasily Gatov
told The Moscow Times that the awards
also shared an eerie link to the tradition in
Soviet Russia of giving out awards in May
commemorating the Russian victory in
World War II.
“These awards show that Russia’s political
system works on the basis of informal rules
and signals. If someone does not receive such
an award, this could be interpreted as a sign
of disgrace,” Gatov said in a phone interview.
the Senate.
Gun control group, Americans for Responsible Solutions, opposed the measure,
noting that until the bill was revised, it did
not even contain provisions for churches to
decide whether or not they would allow guns
on their premises.
“Among its many extreme provisions,
it allows guns in TSA lines at the country’s
busiest airport, forces community school
boards into bitter, divisive debates about
whether they should allow guns in their
children’s classrooms and broadens the
conceal carry eligibility to people who have
previously committed crimes with guns,”
Pia Carusone, the group’s senior adviser,
told CNN.
Of course, even if you do carry a gun into
a church that prohibits firearms, you don’t
have to worry too much: Instead of imposing a heavy penalty on those that ignore the
firearm stipulations of private locations, the
guns everywhere bill will simply impose a
meager $100 (or less) fine.
The new law is far from popular with
Georgians. According to a poll from the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 59 percent of
respondents disapproved of Georgia House
Bill 60.
The widespread disapproval of the guns
everywhere bill has left many Georgian
voters scratching their heads at what in the
world their state legislature was thinking.
Because the law attempts to bring concealed carry into places of worship, some
of the angriest Georgian voters have been
members of communities of faith.
Rev. Raphael Warnock from Atlanta’s
Ebenezer Baptist Church expressed his
frustration at Georgia’s tone-deaf politicians
passage of the guns everywhere bill.
“Our politicians, tragically, are owned by
the gun lobby,” Warnock told The Independent. “We will remind them in November
that they work for the people.”
Warnock said he believes the guns
everywhere bill is inconsistent with the
preferences of Georgians of faith from both
parties.
“I don’t know of a single pastor in the
state of Georgia who has been lobbying
to have guns brought into their churches,”
Warnock said. “When we say pass the peace,
we mean P-E-A-C-E, not the P-I-E-C-E.”
These legislative nightmares continue to
plague American politics because of a fallacy
that is being sold as fact to the American
people.
If you choose to listen to gun-advocates,
they will insist that you are safer in crowded
public places standing next to individuals
that may have little or no experience handling firearms in high-pressure situations.
Ask yourself: do you really want an
inexperienced gun-toting firebrand taking
a potential crime into their own hands by
opening fire on a criminal in a crowded
place?
Gun-advocates make couch their arguments in terms of protecting their families,
or maintaining the peace, but there is really
a more insidious argument existing behind
the scenes.
Gun owners express their extreme distrust for society through trying at every
turn to force guns into places where they
do not belong.
In return, we see wannabe vigilantes
seeking revenge on those young men in
hoodies in our society that intimidate them.
“Guns everywhere” may be a cardcarrying NRA member’s fantasy, but for
everyday Americans, this gun-happy vision
for America borders on insanity.
by Dionna Cheatham ‘15
Junior Politics/Opinions Editor
O
n April 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin honored over 300 TV, print and
radio journalists for “objective coverage” of
the Ukraine crisis, Kyiv Post and Reuters
reported.
Their true objectivity is thrown into
question by the sheer amount of propaganda
abounding in Russian media, and by the
fact that the Kremlin has a history of using
propaganda as a weapon.
“I can confirm that such a decree was
signed, but we usually do not publish them.
Now, since this information has become
public, we do not plan to add any details
about it,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov
told The Moscow Times.
The awards were given under Decree
279, the contents of which were hidden
until a Russian newspaper broke the story
on May 5.
There was a lull between Decrees 278 and
280 in the official gazette, Huffington Post
reported. A Kremlin source said, “It was for
internal use, not for public use.”
Ukrainians and Russians alike have
difficulty parsing information from their
news media.
There is a large volume of propaganda in
addition to confused, fragmented reporting
and outright lies.
For example, Russian media reported
heavy fighting in Kramatorsk, a city in the
region of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.
In Russian Republic, media supports you... unconditionally: In April, Putin honored over
300 journalists for “objective coverage” of the news through TV, print, and radio media. It is highly
questionable whether many of the journalists Putin honore could be categorized as “objective” at
all, given that the Kremlin exhibits a high level of control over the Russian media.The awards were
given under Decree 279, and did not become public until a Russian newspaper discovered the
recipients on May 5. Propaganda and bias remain significant issues within Russian-based media.
Photo credit to Mikhail Klimentyev
Opinion: Georgia’s “guns everywhere” bill is
insane, reflects the influence of gun lobby
by Henry Ashton ‘15
F
Senior Politics/Opinions Editor
ew would question that an overwhelming number of people in the American South love their guns.
Conservative districts in the South can
often turn into shouting matches for politicians to see which one can proclaim a greater
love for the second amendment.
A law recently passed in Georgia, however, steps way over the line. In fact, I would
say it obliterates the line with a healthy dose
of buckshot.
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed
a law on April 23 that extends Georgia’s
concealed carry provisions to locations that
are inappropriate for individuals to bring
firearms.
Georgia’s House Bill 60, entitled the
Safe Carry Protection Act of 2014, allows
residents of Georgia with concealed carry
permits to bring guns into churches, bars,
schools, government buildings and airports.
The bill earned overwhelming support
from a number of representatives in Georgia’s Republican-dominated legislature,
passing 112-58 in the House and 37-18 in
Guns everywhere: Handguns are displayed in the Sandy Springs Gun Club and Range in Sandy
Springs, Georgia. Photo credit to Associated Press
Guns everywhere: In a legislative hearing over whether Minnesota would allow guns in its state
capitol, Kristopher Kranz holsters a Glock as he listens to legislators. Photo credit Associated Press
Page Seven
YJ
Sports
May 16, 2014
Gray &
Albaugh
win big
as ODAC
Coaches of
the Year
by Rebecca Ream ‘16 & Jordon Lee ‘16
T
Photo courtesy of Rebecca Ream
Freshmen athletes take over ODAC
by Rebecca Ream ‘16
Senior Sports Editor
T
his spring, the Randolph-Macon
freshmen athletes wasted no time making
their mark in the Old Dominion Athletic
Conference (ODAC). Several freshmen
spring athletes, both on the men’s and
women’s sides, received all ODAC honors
this year.
One such athlete was Susan Snee, a freshman on the Women’s Lacrosse team. As a
freshman she received All ODAC 3rd Team
Honors as well as being named All ODAC
Rookie of the Year for entire Female Lacrosse
program. When asked about receiving this
honor, Snee stated that receiving the honor
would not have been possible “without the
help of my wonderful teammates and the
support from [her] family and friends.”
All ODAC teams are voted on by the
leagues head coaches and are then released
by the conference offices. R-MC had six
freshmen honored with seven different All
ODAC titles. Freshmen who received spring
ODAC honors included:
Baseball: Jordan Schmeer, Infielder (2B)
Women’s Lacrosse: Susie Snee, All ODAC
Rookie of the Year, All ODAC 3rd Team
(Midfielder)
Softball: Kelsey McLaughlin, All ODAC
3rd Team (SP)
Women’s Tennis: Kelsie Grace, All
ODAC 2nd Team (#2 Singles), Melissa
Tomlin, All ODAC 2nd Team (#5 Singles),
and Molly Jesseman and Melissa Tomlin, All
ODAC 2nd Team (#3 Doubles).
For a complete list of R-MC athletes who
received All ODAC Honors, please visit
www.rmc.edu/Athletics.
All R-MC teams earn ODAC honors
Compiled by Jordon Lee ‘16
T
Junior Sports Editor
his season, every Randolph-Macon
sports team was awarded with multiple
ODAC awards, individual and team accolades.
The women’s golf team triumphed over
many teams, including Bridgewater and
Washington and Lee in the ODAC Women's
Golf Championship in April, which they
won for the second consecutive year.
Among the many achievements by all
the players on both the men’s and women’s
golf teams, Olivia Bowling was awarded
the ODAC Player of the Year for the second
year in a row and juniors Bobby Bradshaw,
Jr. and Kyle Fuller, Jr. were also honored at
the ODACs.
Among the players’ awards, Coach
Leighann Albaugh was also awarded the
ODAC Coach of the Year for the second
year in a row.
The men’s and women’s tennis teams built
on the successes from last season. Three
women on the tennis team were awarded in
the ODACs. Freshmen Kelsie Grice earned
Second Team All-ODAC at No. 2 singles,
Melissa Tomlin was awarded Second Team
All-ODAC honors at No. 5 singles and Molly
Jesseman earned Second Team All-ODAC at
No. 3 doubles.
Successes were not short on the men’s
team either, since senior Michael Baxter
and junior Ryan Byrd were named First
Team All-ODAC at No. 1 doubles, while
sophomore John Adam was awarded Second
Team All-ODAC honors.
Among the many achievements of the
tennis program, Coach Charles Gray was
awarded the ODAC Coach of the Year.
The Yellow Jacket baseball team achieved
24-15 overall and 14-6 in the ODACs. This
was the team’s ninth consecutive tournament
appearance since 2006.
The regular season saw four All-ODAC
accomplishments; sophomore Nicholas
Maiolo won the ODAC’s Rookie-of-the-Year
honor; junior Glenn McLaughlin won First
Team All-ODAC choice as relief pitcher;
junior reliever Jake Bram was credited Third
Team recognition;- and senior Jamie Hendrick earned his fourth All-ODAC honor as
a Third Team starting pitcher.
Additionally, freshman infielder Jordan
Schmeer and sophomore outfielder Michael
Wallman earned All-Tournament honors for
their achievements.
Ranking eighthin the NCAA Division III
Atlantic Region, the softball team obtained
individual and team awards.
Junior shortstop Sharese Jarvis and
sophomore outfielder Christine Simon
were named First Team All-ODAC. Junior
outfielder Amanda Sopko and sophomore
second baseman Sam Moore earned Second
Team All-ODAC, while freshman pitcher
Kelsey McLaughlin received Third Team
All-ODAC honors.
The softball team had a record of 26-12
this season, and for the first time in the
program’s history, they reached the championship game of the ODAC Tournament
despite falling short of winning the title
against Virginia Wesleyan.
The women’s lacrosse team buzzed
their way to various successes this spring.
Dominating the field against teams such as
Hollins, Sweet Briar and Randolph, the team
displayed great ability and quickness.
Among the team’s accomplishments,
Junior Betsy Hebert and sophomore Jenelle
Whitman were named to the ODAC AllTournament Team.
The men’s lacrosse team had an improved
season this year that culminated in four
Jackets winning ODAC honors.
Senior Jason Andrews was named First
Team All-ODAC at attack finishing in the
top five of various offensive brackets. After defeating Virginia Wesleyan, Andrews
became the second all-time in goals scored
in a single season for R-MC. Senior Justin
Butler earned his third All-ODAC award in
his four seasons on the team, being named
Second Team midfielder.
Sophomore Nick Benhoff also received
Second Team honors, and sophomore Matt
DeBiasse received an All-ODAC award as
Third Team defenseman.
Furthermore, the dance team received
the TRUE U.S. Champion award at the U.S.
Finals - Final Destination Cheer and Dance
National Championships in Virginia Beach,
Va. Leading the team to qualifying for the
competition in January, Coach Susan Cassidy and her team made history by winning
at the national competition.
The champions were junior captain
Katharine Winters, sophomores Martika
Williams, Kathleen Lampe and Dory Jackson and freshman Lexie Tsantes. Captain
Savannah Kaiser helped the team advance
through the qualifying rounds, but could not
participate in the Finals due to her studying
abroad this semester.
Overall, this spring was comprised of
numerous achievements by all our Yellow
Jacket teams, and there is much to look
forward to next season.
All information obtained through RMC
Athletics. Please visit www.rmcathletics.com
for more information.
Sports Editors
his spring, head coaches Leighann
Albaugh of the women’s golf team and
Charles Gray of the tennis program were
recipients of the ODAC Coach of the Year
award.
Albaugh received this award for the
second consecutive year because of the
elections from her fellow peers and coaches.
She was recognized for her work ethic and
leadership on and off the court and was
“absolutely honored,” and said she owes her
win to her players.
Albaugh said she has worked
tremendously hard preparing her players
for life by continuously mentoring them
and telling them to focus on being in the
present moment. She said she believes golf
is a metaphor for life that requires patience
and resilience in competition.
“[Coach Albaugh] always gave me
support,” captain of the women’s golf team
and 2014 ODAC Player of the Year Olivia
Bowling ‘16 stated, “and I don’t think I would
be the player that I am, or think I would have
won the award, if I did not have her support.”
After leading the golf team to their win
in the ODACs this year, Albaugh said she is
looking forward to constantly improving the
defending champions’ skills in preparation
for next season.
As for Gray’s first year as head tennis
coach at Randolph-Macon, he was named
ODAC Coach of the Year for his work with
the men’s tennis program and helped lead
the men’s and women’s tennis teams to third
place finishes in the ODACs. He said he
credited a lot of his success to his players,
R-MC and the new tennis facility which he
called “one of the best facilities in the MidAtlantic region.”
Coach Gray said many good things about
the young men and women he coached this
year. On the boys’ side, he credited much of
the leadership roles to juniors Connor Hoer,
Michael Baxter and Ryan Bryd.
“We had 17 people on the roster this year
on the men’s side,” Gray said, “but everyone
was really supportive of each other.”
Byrd stated that Coach Gray was “an
outstanding coach and role model… He
always gives good advice, has a positive
attitude, and is very encouraging.”
Sophomore John Adam added that
Coach Gray was “the best coach [he] ever
had… he prepares us for success on and off
the court.”
As for his coaching philosophy, Coach
Gray said he uses the “three C’s: classroom,
court and Community.” He also noted the
importance of the order and said that he
“wants excellence in all three from all his
players.”
Coach Gray said he is looking forward
to next year, and he expects his players to
continue to compete at a high level, be an
integral part of the community and excel
academically.
“We set the bench mark high,” Gray
said, “and I have no intention of going
backwards.”
Page Eight
YJSPORTS
Vol. XCVIV; Issue 12
May 16, 2014
Saying goodbye to the athletes of the
Class of 2014
All photos are courtesy of the athletes.
Anna Obermiller, Swimming
Major: Communications
Accomplishments: 200 Medly Relay
Record
Tracy Murden, Football
David Sullivan, Soccer
Major: Computer Science and Physics
Accomplishments: Captain, All Academic
Major: Business/Econ
Accomplishments: All American Punter,
All South region punter, All State Punter, All
Conference Punter
Lauren Seal, Field Hockey
Major: Psychology
Accomplishments: First Team ALL
ODAC, Rookie of the Year, Captain, AllRegion Honors
Stephanie Talley, Field Hockey
Major: Psychology, English minor
Accomplishments: 4 year ODAC participant
Danny Valdini, Lacrosse
Major: English
Accomplishments: 3 year starter
Carson McGuffin, Lacrosse
Kaitlyn Milstead , Swimming
Major: Economics
Accomplishments: 3-time all ODAC academic
Major: Biology
Accomplishments: Overcame 2 injuries
Abel Simpson, Football
Major: English
Minor Spanish
Accomplishments: 4 year starter, captain, top three in tackles
Olayemisi Ogunshina, Tennis
Major: Econ/Business, Minor: Black Studies
Accomplishments: ODAC player of the
week, captain
Tori Puryear, Volleyball
Major: Econ/Business, math minor
Accomplishments: ODAC conference
team, ODAC player of the week
Eric Taylor, Lacrosse
Paige Mills, Basketball
Major: Archeology
Accomplishments: ODAC Champion
Major: Computer Science, Minor:
Biology
Accomplishments: Peter Kohn
Award
Kyle Snodderly, Lacrosse
Major: History, Minor: Education
Accomplishments: Bruce Cornbrooks Award